Sarpanches can’t disburse old-age pension till polls: EC

Amaninder Pal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 13

Reverting an important decision of the SAD-BJP government, the Election Commission today ordered that village sarpanches could not disburse old-age pensions till the election process was over.

Now, the pension amount would be provided to the district administration, which will deposit the money in the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

Sources said due to demonetisation move, pensions for November and December could not be distributed to a large number of beneficiaries as most of the sarpanches couldn’t withdraw cash from banks.

In 2013, the SAD-BJP government had adopted a mechanism to deposit pensions directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries to ensure more transparency in the process.

However, with an eye on the elections, the government had, in December 2015, withdrawn its own decision and empowered sarpanches to disburse the pension.

Sources said the EC had taken the decision after deputy commissioners of several districts asked the department as to what method should be adopted to disburse pension.

“The department then approached the commission seeking its direction on the matter. The commission has categorically told the department that sarpanches should be kept out of the disbursal system till the elections,” said a senior ECI officer.